Model Comparison
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B vs Nova LiteWhich is better in 2026?
Nova Lite significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Nova Lite is 1.2x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B vs Nova Lite — which is better?
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B (by Google) and Nova Lite (by Amazon) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Nova Lite is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, MATH, MMMU). Nova Lite significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Nova Lite is roughly 1.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B if…
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
Choose Nova Lite if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 1.2x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2024
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Nova Lite is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, MATH, MMMU).
Nova Lite significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B ($0.07/1M tokens) is 1.2x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.06/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B ($0.30/1M tokens) is 1.3x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.24/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is more expensive than Nova Lite.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Nova Lite's 300,000 tokens. Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B can generate longer responses up to 8,192 tokens, while Nova Lite is limited to 2,048 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B and Nova Lite support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B
Nova Lite
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B was released on 2024-03-15, while Nova Lite was released on 2024-11-20.
Nova Lite is 8 months newer than Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B.
Mar 15, 2024
2.3 years ago
Nov 20, 2024
1.6 years ago
8mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-10-01, while Nova Lite's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B's training data extends to 2024-10-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without Nova Lite's cutoff date.
Oct 2024
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Provider Availability
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is available from Google. Nova Lite is available from Bedrock.
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B
Nova Lite
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Nova Lite
View detailsAmazon
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B and Nova Lite side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B vs Nova Lite.